Dr. John Ronald Lowe: paternal line genealogy report
Summary: The ancestors and relatives on Dr. Lowe’s paternal line are consistently listed as white on U.S. Federal census reports, U.S. military records, death and birth records spanning 4 generations.
Claims:
Dr. Lowe over the years has publicly claimed Creek, Lenape and Cherokee (which he says derives from his full blood father) and more recent claims of Osage and Black heritages.
Genealogical Conclusion:
We do not find any evidence of Creek, Lenape, Osage, Cherokee or Black ancestry (although we did find ample evidence of his ancestors enslaving African people for agriculture)
There is no documentation that revealed Dr. Lowe’s ancestors were present on any American Indian rolls, nor did they reside in areas of the Cherokee, Creek, Osage or Lenape Tribes that they occupied pre and post forced removal.
Paternal genealogy:
Father:
LOWE, James Thomas b. 16 Nov 1923 Prince Edward, Virginia, d. 14 Dec 2014 Chestertown, Maryland
Spouse: SEWARD Mary Elizabeth “Bettie” b. 22 Dec 1928 Dixon, Queen Anne’s, Maryland, d. 10 Mar 1978 Baltimore, Maryland
Paternal grandfather:
LOWE James Archer: b. 8 May 1886 Prince Edward, Virginia, d. 21 Sep 1960 Farmville, Prince Edward, Virginia
Spouse of James Archer Lowe WOODALL, Mary Elizabeth “Lizzie” b. 1882 Prince Edward, Virginia, d. 30 Oct 1933 Farmville, Prince Edward, Virginia
Her parents: WOODALL, John Robert b. Mar 1849 Buckinghamshire, Virginia, d. about 1910 Buffalo, Prince Edward, Virginia
His parents: WOODALL, Robert Obediah b. 1811 New Canton, Buckingham, Virginia, 25 Mar 1881 Buckingham, Virginia
Spouse of John Robert Woodall: BAGBY Paulina Frances “Polly”, b. Jun 1849 Appomattox, Virginia, d. about 1920 Prince Edward, Virginia
Her parents: BAGBY, Josiah J. b. 1824 Prince Edward, VA, d. bef. 1870 Appomattox, Buckingham, VA
His parents: BAGBY, Josiah b. 3 Oct 1796 Buckingham, Virginia, d. 2 Mar 1863 Buckingham, Virginia, CONNER Elizabeth b. 10 Jun 1803 Buckingham, Virginia, d. 1 Dec 1882, Buckingham, Virginia
Spouse of Josiah J. Bagby: GILBERT Judith Albina b. 1825 Amherst, Virginia, d. 30 Apr 1895 Buckingham, Virginia
Her parents: GILBERT, Humphrey Anderson b. abt. 1782 Amherst, Virginia, d. Feb 1862, PENDLETON Pollina b. 1785 Buckinghamshire, Virginia, d. Bef. 1870 Buckingham, Virginia
Dr. John Ronald Lowe: paternal genealogy report
Paternal great grandfather:
LOWE, Thomas E. b. Jan 1855 Farmville, Prince Edward, Virginia, d. 20 May 1932 Prince Edward, Virginia
Spouse: LUMPKIN Martha A. or Martha Annie b. Dec 1856 Prince Edward, Virginia, d. 1929 Prince Edward county, Virginia
Her parents: LUMPKIN William J. b. about 1830 Buckinghamshire, Virginia, d. after 1880 Virginia
Spouse of William J. Lumpkin:
Elizabeth A. “Bettie” Lumpkin b. about 1825 Virginia, d. after 1880 Buckingham, Virgina
Paternal 2nd great grandfather:
LOWE, John Henry b. 1820 Prince Edward, Virginia, d. after 1880 Farmville, Prince Edward, Virginia
His spouse: Julia A. “Lucy” Colley b. 1822 Prince Edward Island, Virginia, d. about 1878 Prince Edward, Virginia
Her parents: Isaac D. Colley b. 1795, Prince Edward county, Virginia, d. 1859 Prince Edward county, Virginia
Icy F. Meadows b. 1796 Prince Edward Island, Virginia, d. 1870 Farmville, Prince Edward, Virginia
Paternal 3rd great grandfather:
LOWE, Holman b. about 1792 Prince Edward county, Virginia, d. after 1840 Prince Edward, Virginia
Spouse: ROWLETT, Martha F. b. 1796 Prince Edward county, Virginia, d.8 Aug 1878 Bedford, Kentucky
Dr. John Ronald Lowe: maternal genealogy report
Mother:
SEWARD, Mary Elizabeth “Betty”
b. 22 Dec 1928 Dixon, Queen Anne’s, Maryland, d. 10 Mar 1978 Baltimore, Maryland
Maternal grandfather:
SEWARD, Clarence Dewey
b. 25 Jun 1898 Queen Anne’s county, Maryland, d. 12 Jul 1968 Queen Anne’s, Maryland
His spouse: HOLDEN, Mary Elizabeth b. 4 Nov Dixon, Queen Anne’s, Maryland, d. 12 Apr 1974 Barclay’s, Maryland
Her parents: HOLDEN Louis or Lewis Ware b. 5 Jun 1880 Barclay, Queen Anne’s, Maryland, d.28 Sep 1970’ Busic, Queen Anne’s, Maryland
Spouse: COMEGYS, Bessie B. b. Oct 1882 Dixon Queen Anne’s, Maryland, d. 1918 Barclay, Queen Anne’s, Maryland
Her parents: COMEGYS, William J. b. 1 Feb 1840 Caroline, Maryland, d. 27 Apr 1917 Spouse: CAHALL, Sarah C. Oct 1840 Dover Hundred, Kent, Delaware, d. before 1920 Dixon, Queen Anne’s, Maryland
Maternal great grandfather:
SEWARD, William B. b. 1 Jan 1860 Queen Anne’s, Maryland, d. 13 Jun 1963, Barclay’s, Maryland
Spouse: WALLS, Alice M. b. Mar 1882 Queen Anne’s, Maryland, d. 9 Apr 1940 Queen Anne’s, Maryland
Her parents: WALLS, Henry T. b. 22 Sep 1857 Queen Anne’s county, Maryland, d. 9 Sep 1917 Smyrna, Kent, Delaware
Spouse: WALLS (maiden surname), Susan Boyles b. 17 Dec 1861 Queen Anne’s, Maryland, d. Feb 1901 Templeville, Queen Anne’s, Maryland
Her parents: Martin F. Wall b.1829 Delaware, d. 20 Jun 1885 Greensboro, Caroline, Maryland
Spouse: Louisa “Eliza” Boiles b. Jan 1836 Delaware, d. 9 Sep 1899 Caroline, Maryland
2nd Great grandfather:
SEWARD James B. b. 1812 Queen Anne’s, Maryland, d. 8 Feb 1900 Queen Anne’s, Maryland
Spouse: CLOUGH, Sarah Annie b. Jan 1821 Queen Anne’s, Maryland, d. after 1900, Queen Anne’s, Maryland
History of Slavery
Josiah J. BAGBY 2nd great grandfather, 1850 and 1860 slave schedules, 7 enslaved, did not comply with the Amnesty Oath
William LUMPKIN, 2nd great grandfather, 1860 slave schedule, 12 enslaved
Mildred Sarah CASON, 3rd great grandmother, 1860 slave schedule, 7 enslaved
James Boyd WOODALL, 2nd great granduncle, 1840 census, 1 male enslaved
Henry T. ,2nd great grandfather,1850 slave schedule, 3 enslaved
Cornelius COMEGYS, 4th great grandfather, 1800 census, 7 enslaved
Richard T. HOLDEN, 3rd great grandfather, 1830 census, 16 enslaved
Reuben PENDLETON, 4th great grandfather, 1810 census, 13 enslaved
Mace Humphrey GILBERT, 2nd great granduncle, 1850 slave schedule, 1 enslaved
Source: U.S. Federal Slave Schedule records
Quoted in the Media
Minority Nurse Magazine Fall 2008 edition “Recruiting and Retaining Native American Nursing Students”, Lessons from My father, a lesson by Scott Williams
“Somewhere in rural North Carolina an 85-year-old Cherokee Indian, who never attended school himself can take credit for inspiring his son. Lowe credits his father a full-blooded Cherokee for being the impetus behind his 20-year career”
R.N. Mentor Consulting Ali R. Tayyeb PHD, RN, NPD, BC, PHN February 23, Season 3, Episode 3,
“Dr. John Lowe is a Cherokee Native American tribal member and has Creek and Lenape Native American tribal heritage”
20th annual Littlefield Leadership lecture
“A Cherokee tribal member, Lowe serves as professor in health disparities research”
The Seminole Tribune Dec 1, 2016, by Alex Burnham FSU news staff writer SeminoleTribune.org
“John Lowe a Cherokee Native American tribal member is the newly endowed McKenzie professor in health disparities research”
Emu.edu EMU News February 27, 2019, by Lauren Jefferson FSU professor, a leader in indigenous nursing research, talks health inequities, historical trauma.
“The past is the present”, Lowe says, in acknowledging his ancestors of Cherokee, Creek and Lenape descent, Lowe calls on influences very much alive and present in his work today.